Combined hip and body harness



June 30, 1959 v sOwLE 2,892,193

COMBINED HIP AND BODY HARNESS Filed March 28, 1956 "111, WIIIIII'IIIIII'IIA i will i INVENTOR. kg. 2- Bi7 e0 ([5050 /8 6m tZa/faglea COMBINED HIP AND BODY HARNESS Theo I. Sowle, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Application March 28, 1956, Serial No. 574,422 8 Claims. c1. 2--2 This invention relates to protection harness for football players and, in particular, to hip and body protection harness.

Hiherto, the bodies and hips of football players have been protected by separate protection harnesses or pads. The upper portion of. the players body has been protected by so-called blocking pads or rib-and-kidney protectors which have been hung by straps from the shoulders, whereas the hips have been protected by hip protector pads strapped around the waist of the player. As a result, when the player bent over, the adjacent edges of the rib-and-kidney. protector and hip protector moved apart from one another, opening up a gap in the most vulnerable place in theplayers body, namely in the region of the kidneys, exposing the lumbar region and the upperportions of the hip bones and iliac crest. Consequently, crippling injuries have frequently occurred in the used these separate rib-andkidney protectors and hip. protectors. Moreover, youthful players have frequently worn their hip protectors or hip pads low on their hips like acowboys chaps, accentuating the evil by completely uncovering the kidney region and wholly failing to give it any protection. As a consequence, blows'against the players back in the gaps'thus created and upon the vital regions thus exposed have resulted in serious injuries to youthful players and caused agitation against the playing of football itself.

In the invention shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 511,287 filed May 26, 1955 for Combination Hip and Body. Harness, now Patent No. 2,805,418, granted September 10, 1957, I have disclosed and claimed a combined hip and body harness which is adaptable to the different positions of the body assumed in playing the game of football, yet all the while affording protection to all vital regions of the hips and ,body.- That invention providesla combined .hip andbody harness wherein the hip protector or pads serve asa foundation upon which the rib-and-kidney protector or body pads are supported by upstanding supports at the opposite sides of the body, with the result that shoulder straps with their attendant defects .of twisting, discomfort, inelasticity and pulling-up of -the pads. are eliminated, the tops of the hip bones, lumbarregion and the tip of the iliac crests are never exposed and crippling injuries consequently cannot occur, as in the past. That harness of that invention, however, while very satisfactory in a given size for a correspondingly-sized player, must be made in different sizes for players with different lengths of torso, as not being adjustable for difierent lengths of torso.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a combined hip and body harness of the foregoing character which can be adjusted to the different lengths of torso of different players yet which still gives full protection to the player himself.

' Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying invention, wherein:

Figure 1' is a front elevation of a combined hip and body harness according to one'form of the invention, with the body of the player shown in dotted lines 7 Patented June 30,1959

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the combined hip and also shown in dotted lines;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-section through the interconnecting and supporting structure of the harness of Figures 1 and 2, taken along the lines 3-3 in Figures 2 and 4; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged rear elevation of the interconnecting and supporting structure shown in Figure 3, taken along the line 4-4 therein.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figures 1 and 2 show a combined hip and body harness, generally designated 10, for football players or the like as consisting generally of a padded hip protector 12 having adjustable upstanding supporting and connecting structures 14 on opposite sides thereof, preferably of a semi-rigid material, and supporting a padded girdle-shaped body or rib-andkidney protector 16 on'the upper ends thereof. The hip protector'12 is shaped to fit the hip region H of the torso T and for that purpose is curved outwardly and downwardly to form a rearward guard portion 18 conforming to the bulge of the buttocks B. The hip protector 12 is also provided with side guard portions 20 on the opposite sides thereof, these being separated from one another at the front by an upwardly-arched indented or cutaway portion 22 (Figure 1) and separated from the rearward guard portion 18 by upward indentations 24 located therebetween (Figure 2). Each of the side guard portions 20 atits upper region has an upwardly-curved iliac crest protecting portion 26 which has an arched top edge portion 27, and a downwardly-curved or upwardly-arouate forward upper edge portion 28 at the free ends 30 of theside guard portions 20. The iliac crest protecting portion 26 has a rearward upper edge portion 32 which curves downwardly and rearwardly toward the back upper edge 34, which is approximately horizontal (Figure l) and which joins the two opposite side guard portions 20 at the rear.

The hip protector 12 near the lower ends of the side guard portions 20 is provided with hip pads 36 of semirigid material which is resistant to blows (Figure 2), and the iliac crest protecting portions 26 are similarly provided with iliac pads 38 of similar material and similarly designatedv to protect tlie'top of the hip bones or iliac crests. A belt40 encircles the hip protector 12 at a location between the iliac pads 38 and hip pads 36 above the bulge of the buttocks B where at the location 42 the rearward guard portion 18 is convex. The forward ends or free ends 44 and 46 of the belt 40 are adjustably interconnected by a buckle 48.

Each upstanding supporting and connecting structure 14 includes a flexible lower strap 54 of leather, textile webbing or other suitable material having its lower end 52 secured as by the stitches 50 to the portion 26 near the upstanding upper edge 27 thereof. The lower strap 54 extends inwardly over the edge 27 (Figure 3), then downward around the lower edge 56 of a vertical sup-' porting plate 58 of fiber, plastic or other stifi material, then upward along the rear surface thereof through a lower slot 60 and terminates in an upper end 62 provided with perforations 64. The upper end 62 of the lower strap 54 is connected as by the lacing 66 to perforations 68 in the lower end 70 of an upper strap 72 of material similar to that of the lower strap 54. The upper strap 72 proceeds upward along the front surface of the plate 58, thence through an upper slot 74 therein, thence upward along the rearward surface thereof and over the upper edge 76 of the plate 58, thence downward along the front surface of the plate 58, and thence around the arched lower edge 78 of the forward side member 80 of the rib protector 16 to which it is secured by stitches 82.

The forward side member 80 of the rib-and-kidney pro: tector 16 in the region adjacent its lower edge 78 is preferably of fiber, as is the portion 26, and is connected by multiple parallel straps 82 to a rearwardisidernember 84 of similar. construction to the forward side :member 80 but of opposite configuration. Each. of the forward side members 80 has a constricted front end 86 or88, the former terminating in a strap 90 and the latterzcarrying a buckle 92 receiving the strap 90 (Figure l); Immediately adjacent the constricted front end portions 86, the forward sidemembers 80 are providedwith downwardlyextending portions 94 (Figure l) which give further protection to the front of the body, .particularly the lower ribs. The upper edges 96of the-forwardiand rearward side members 80 and 84 curve upwardand rearward at a slightly inclined angle (Figure 2;) to the spaced rearward vertical edges 98 of the latter. Vertically-spaced parallel horizontal reinforcement or strengthening, bars 100 are mounted in the I front quarter portions in order to strengthen these members and provide additional protection for the ribs of the wearer. The forward and rearward side members 80'and 84 havespaced adjoining vertical edges 102. and 104 (Figure'2) respectively, interconnected by a gusset 106 of elasticrnaterial such as elastic webbing, which is stitched or otherwise secured thereto;

In the use of the invention, tonput on-the combined hip and body harness 10, the player unfastens the upper and lower buckles 92 and 48, places the hip protector 12 around his hips and the rib protector 16 around his ribs and the adjacent portion of his body, and refastens the buckles 92 and 48. The lower buckle 48 is fastened in a comparatively snug manner so that the hip protector 12 rests firmly upon the hips and buttocks of the player without the possibility of sliding down. The upper buckle 92, however, is fastened somewhat more loosely so that the body or rib-and-kidney protector 16 fits that portion of the players body comparatively loosely and thereby provides flexibility of motion and adaptability of fit between the upper and lower protectors 15 and 12 respectively, as well as between the protectors and the players torso T.

When the combination harness 10 has thus been put on, and adjusted and fastened in the above manner, the player is completely protected as regards his vital organs and bones, regardless of what position he assumes, whether standing, crouching, kneeling'or bending in any direction; The upstanding semi-rigid supporting plates 58 provide articulation between the upper and lower pro= tectors 16 and 12 so as to afford relativemotion there between while protecting the vital areas of the body and preventing the opening up of any gap which would expose any such vital area to injury from blows; The upwardlyextending iliac protecting portions 26, the iliac pads 38, and the upstanding supporting plates 58 also provide complete protection to the iliac crests or tops of the hip bones, thereby preventing the injuries thereto which have frequently occurred notwithstanding the provision of prior hip and body pads because of the lack of protection afforded thereby. Such injuries have frequently'crippled players and inflicted permanent damage to their bodies.

The ribs or bars 100 give additional protection to the players ribs and viscera, yet the material. of the upper or rib protector 16 is flexible and compressible in such a manner as to enable it to compress when the player leans forward, causing the ribs 100' to" come closer together. The flexible connection aiforcled'by the straps 54 and 72 andthe upstanding supporting plates 58 gives the player the facility of twisting his body or'moving sidewise, forward or backward, with relative motion between the upper and lower protectors 16 and 12,- yet giving complete" protection at all times to the spine andother vulnerable portions of the body;

I If the player hasv a long torso, the upper. or.ribf-and-* kidney protector 16 is moved upward relatively to the 4" lower. orhip .protector.12 by tightening..the..lacings.,.66v (Figures 3 and 4) and retying them in a shortened state. This action causes the strap ends 62 and 70 of the lower and upper straps 54 and 72 to be pulled toward one another through the lower and upper slots 60 and 74, thereby raising the lower edge 56 of the supporting plate 58 and at thesame time raising the-lower edge.78of the side portion of the upper or rib protector 16., In this manner, the edges 27 and 70 (Figure 3) are spaced vertically farther apart from oneanother, lengthening the-torso adjustment, yet the overlapping arrangement of the plate 58 at its lower and upper ends still provides complete protection at the players opposite sides between the upper and lower protectors l6'and-'l2.'=

To adapt the harness 10' to aplay'er-witha shorter torso, the reverse procedure is followed. In otherwords,

the lacing 66 is' loosened and retied inn lengthened condition, so that the strap ends 62 and 70 are spaced more widely apart from'one another; This, in effect," lengthens the working portions'of the straps-54and 72, therebypermitting the lower edge 78 of'the-upper protector16 to" move downward" towardthe upper edge 27 of thelower protector 20. The'result is that the'gap' between these edges 78 and-27 is narrowed, and the-harness 10 thereby made adaptable to'a player with a short torso;

The harness 10 is removedby unbuckling the'bucklcs 48 and 92 and reversing the'foregoing procedure.

What I claim is:

1. A combination hip and-body harness ,which is ad justable to the torso lengthofa'football player, comprising a padded hip protector adapted-to snugly encircle the playerships and fit against the back and sides'thereof, means forfirmly securing said hip protector around the players hips against downward movement relatively thereto, .an upstanding girdle-shaped rib-and kidney protector adapted to loosely encircle the rib and kidney regions of the players body in vertically-spaced relationship with said hip protector, and a'plurality of upstanding self-sus-v taining rib-and-kidney protectorsupporting devices having their lower ends connected to and .supportedly engaging the upper portion of said hip protector'and having their upper ends connected to and supportingly engaging the lower portions of said rib-and-kidney protector, said rib-and-kidney. protector extending upwardly from said supporting devices and having forwardly disposed rib protector portions extending over the players rib regions and rearwardly-disposed'kidney protector portions extending over th'e'players kidney regions, each of said'supporting devices including a vertical support and a vertically-ex tensible and retractible connector adjustably joining said support with one of said protectors.

2. A combination h'ip'and'body harness which is ad-' justable to the torso length of'a football player, comprising a padded hip protector adapted to snugly encircle the players hips and fit against the back and sides thereof, means for firmly securing said hip'protector around the players hips against downward movement relativelythereto, an upstanding girdle-shaped rib-a'nd-kidney protector adapted to loosely encircle the rib andkidneyregions of the players body in vertically-spaced relationship with said hip protector, and a plurality of upstanding self-sustaining rib-and-kidney protector supporting devices having their lower ends connected to and supportedly engaging the upper-portion'ofsaid hip' protector and having their upper ends connected to and supportingly engaging the lower'portio'nsof said rib-and-kidney, protector, said rib-and-kidney protector extending upwardly, from said supporting: devices and having forwardly-disposed rib protector portions extending over the players rib regions and rearwardly-disposedkidney protector portions extending. over the players kidney regions; eachof said supporting devices'including averticall support'and a vertically-extensibleand. retractiblevflexible: connector adjustably joining said support with one of said protectors.

3. A combination hip and body harness which is adjustable to the torso length of a football player, comprising a padded hip protector adapted to snugly encircle the players hips and fit against the back and sides thereof, means for firmly securing said hip protector around the players hips against downward movement relatively thereto, an upstanding girdle-shaped rib-and-kidney protector adapted to loosely encircle the rib and kidney regions of the players body in vertically-spaced relationship with said hip protector, and a plurality of upstanding supporting devices having their lower ends connected to and supportedly engaging the upper portion of said hip protector and having their upper ends connected to and supportingly engaging the lower portions of said rib-and-kidney protector, said rib-and-kidney protector extending upwardly from said supporting devices and having forwardly-disposed rib protector portions extending over the players rib regions and rearwardly-disposed kidney protector portions extending over the players kidney regions, each of said devices including a vertical support and a verticallyextensible and retractible connector adjustably secured to each of the upper and lower end portions of said support and joining said support with both of said protectors.

4. A combination hip and body harness which is adjustable to the torso length of a football player, comprising a padded hip protector adapted to snugly encircle the players hips and fit against the back and sides thereof, means for firmly securing said hip protector around the players hips against downward movement relatively thereto, an upstanding girdle-shaped rib-and-kidney protector adapted to loosely encircle the rib and kidney regions of the players body in vertically-spaced relationship with said hip protector, and a plurality of upstanding supporting devices having their lower ends connected to and supportedly engaging the upper portion of said hip protector and having their upper ends connected to and supportingly engaging the lower portions of said rib-andkidney protector, said rib-and-kidney protector extending upwardly from said supporting devices and having forwardly-disposed rib protector portions extending over the players rib regions and rearwardly-disposed kidney protector portions extending over the players kidney regions, each of said devices including a vertical support and a vertically-extensible and retractible flexible connector adjustably secured to each of the upper and lower end portions of said support and joining said support with both of said protectors.

5. A combination hip and body harness which is adjustable to the torso length of a football player, comprising a padded hip protector adapted to snugly encircle the players hips and fit against the back and sides thereof, means for firmly securing said hip protector around the players hips against downward movement relatively thereto, an upstanding girdle-shaped rib-and-kidney protector adapted to loosely encircle the rib and kidney regions of the players body in vertically-spaced relationship with said hip protector, and a plurality of upstanding self-sustaining rib-and-kidney protector supporting devices having their lower ends connected to and supportedly engaging the upper portion of said hip protector and having their upper ends connected to and supportingly engaging the lower portions of said rib-and-kidney protector, said riband-kidney protector extending upwardly from said supporting devices and having forwardly-disposed rib protector portions extending over the players rib regions and rearwardly-disposed kidney protector portions extending over the players kidney regions, each of said supporting devices including a vertical support and a verticallyextensible and retractible flexible connector adjustably joining said support with one of said protectors, said support having an opening, and said flexible connector being threaded around one end of said support and through said opening.

6. A combination hip and body harness which is adjustable to the torso length of a football player, comprising a padded hip protector adapted to snugly encircle the players hips and fit against the back and sides thereof, means for firmly securing said hip protector around the players hips against downward movement relatively thereto, a rib-and-kidney protector adapted to loosely encircle the rib and kidney regions of the players body in vertically-spaced relationship with said hip protector, and a plurality of upstanding supporting devices having their lower ends connected to and supportedly engaging the upper portion of said hip protector and having their upper ends connected to and supportingly engaging the lower portions of said rib-and-kidney protector, each of said devices including a vertical support and a vertically-extensible and retractible connector adjustably secured to each of the upper and lower end portions of said support and joining said support with both of said protectors, said support having a pair of verticallyspaced openings and the flexible connectors being threaded around their respective opposite ends of said support and through their respective openings.

7. A combination hip and body harness which is adjustable to the torso length of a football player, comprising a padded hip protector adapted to snugly encircle the players hips and fit against the back and sides thereof, means for firmly securing said hip protector around the players hips against downward movement relatively thereto, a rib-and-kidney protector adapted to loosely encircle the rib and kidney regions of the players body in vertically-spaced relationship with said hip protector, and a plurality of upstanding supporting devices having their lower ends connected to and supportedly engaging the upper portion of said hip protector and having their upper ends connected to and supportingly engaging the lower portions of said rib-and-kidney protector, each of said devices including a vertical support and a vertically-extensible and retractible connector adjustably secured to each of the upper and lower end portions of said support and joining said support with both of said protectors, said support having a pair of verticallyspaced openings and the flexible connectors being threaded around their respective opposite ends of said support and through their respective openings, said device also including a fastener interconnecting the opposite ends of the flexible connectors.

8. A combination hip and body harness which is adjustable to the torso length of a football player, comprising a padded hip protector adapted to snugly encircle the players hips and fit against the back and sides thereof, means for firmly securing said hip protector around the players hips against downward movement relatively thereto, a rib-and-kidney protector adapted to loosely encircle the rib and kidney regions of the players body in vertically-spaced relationship with said hip protector, and a plurality of upstanding supporting devices having their lower ends connected to and supportedly engaging the upper portion of said hip protector and having their upper ends connected to and supportingly engaging the lower portions of said rib-and-kidney protector, each of said devices including a vertical support and a verticallyextensible and retractible connector adjustably secured to each of the upper and lower end portions of said support and joining said support with both of said protectors, said support having a pair of vertically-spaced openings and the flexible connectors being threaded around their respective opposite ends of said support and through their respective openings, said device also including an extensible and retractible fastener adjustably interconnecting the opposite ends of the flexible connectors.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,130,343 Seaman Mar. 2, 1915 1,756,358 Ingram Apr. 29, 1930 2,108,336 Helland Feb. 15, 1938 

